1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to knives, and in particular, to knives having a protective guard for the cutting edge and tip.
2. Description of Related Art
Knives come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are adapted for a multitude of uses. There are at least two main categories of knives: fixed-blade knives and folding knives. Fixed-blade knives do not have folding blades and are typically stronger and more stable than folding knives due to their fixed blade-handle construction. Fixed-blade knives are common among knives found in the kitchen and used for food preparation, such as to chop, mince, slice and dice foods. Folding knives, on the other hands, can pivot along the blade to fold into the handle. Unlike fixed-blade knives, folding knives do not have a fixed blade-handle construction and thus are not as strong or as stable as fixed-blade knives. Folding knives are commonly used as utility knives or weapons. An adaptation of a folding knife is a switch blade, which may include a spring mechanism to deploy or close the knife blade from the handle.
There are certain desired characteristics for knives used in food preparation. The cutting edge or blade of the knife should be sharp enough to cut through the food and the knife weight and balance should facilitate ease of handling during use. They should also be stable with respect to handling during use. For example, the blade should not present the possibility of folding over during use. Because of the demands placed on kitchen knives, folding knives are generally regarded as unsuitable for use in food preparation and are difficult to clean. Therefore, an overwhelming majority of all kitchen knives are fixed-blade knives.
The safe and proper storage of kitchen knives is also important so as to prevent dulling of the cutting edge and also to prevent accidental injuries. Fixed-blade knives do not have the advantage of having the blade fold into and covered by the handle. Therefore, kitchen knives must be stored in a knife block or other suitable device that covers and protects the cutting edge and tip of the knife. The need for protecting the cutting edge and tip of the knife is particularly important for ceramic blade knives, which may be very fragile.
Knives, however, are often also stored in a drawer unprotected. This not only creates a risk of damage to the knife blade and tip but also a risk of accidental injury when a hand shuffles through the drawer. Protective covers or sheaths may be provided for the kitchen knives; however, such devices may not be convenient as they may frequently become lost or misplaced.
Moreover, there are circumstances in which knives may be transported from one location or another. For example, professional chefs are known to use their own knives and therefore carry a set of knives with them wherever they are needed to cook. It is therefore important to ensure that the knife blades are adequately covered and/or protected during transportation.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a fixed-blade knife that is suitable for use in the kitchen and that also provides a mechanism for protecting the knife cutting edge and tip from damage and from causing injury to others.